There are so many reasons that people may choose to engage in charity on a day-to-day basis. You might feel particularly connected to a cause through your personal life, or you may be moved to support vulnerable communities you’ve learned about from the news or from a friend, or you yourself may have been the recipient of assistance and be looking to pass along support now that your circumstances have changed. However you come to it, participating in charitable activities is a rewarding and educational experience, and one that benefits not only the recipient or service user, but also all those involved in the provision of that service.
There are so many different ways to be charitable, and the more creative you are the more impactful your gifts can be. From acts of kindness in your community, to doing voluntary work or offering pro-bono consultation, to giving donations and fundraising, you can tailor your approach to your strengths and find an organization that’s a good fit for you.
We at MOAS have benefited from people’s charitable nature since our inception. Our co-founders, Chris and Regina, set MOAS up using their own funds and expertise back in 2014 as a very personal act of charity, and that same innovative and selfless spirit has been at the core of our programming ever since. Our staff are among leading humanitarians who always go above and beyond to make our projects a success, our volunteers are dedicated and motivated and our community of donors and fundraisers are the backbone of the work we do. Even our service users often come back to the organization looking for ways to re-engage with MOAS and use their new skills and circumstances to help others in their community.
This year on the 5th September we will celebrate International Day of Charity, which was established “with the objective of sensitizing and mobilizing people, NGOs, and stakeholders all around the world to help others through volunteer and philanthropic activities” according to the UN. Initially chosen to commemorate the passing of Mother Theresa, the date has since become synonymous with good deeds and selfless acts of all description. The UN declared 5th September an International Holiday in 2012 and since then individuals and organizations all over the world have used it as an excuse to think up better and more exciting ways to give back to those in need.
This year MOAS is looking for help and support to continue on our humanitarian mission. We are always looking to grow our global family and engage more and more people in our work. If you aren’t sure how you can support MOAS here are some ideas below.
How Can I Help?
- Spread the Word
For many organizations advocacy and education is a vital part of their work, and MOAS is no different. It is essential that we share the stories and testimony of those we support and raise the voices of those who are calling for change. We at MOAS run an advocacy campaign around the promotion of safe and legal routes of migration, which you can sign up to support, and we also constantly publish news and articles about the crises in which we work, the communities we assist and the needs that still haven’t been met.
By signing up to our newsletter, following us on social media and sharing our news and updates you will be acting as another voice calling for change, you will be helping us to reach more people with our education and advocacy activities and you will be introducing new people to MOAS and the work we do.
- Galvanize Your Community
You have an untapped resource available to you- your own community. Be that through work, hobbies, family or your own voluntary work, the people you know are a valuable asset to any charitable campaign. Launch a fundraiser or do a sponsored event to raise money for MOAS and bring new supporters to the cause. Use our tailor-made fundraising platform to help you create a campaign page. Email our fundraising team on [email protected] for ideas on how to make your event a success or for resources to help you promote your initiatives. By galvanizing your community you share your own passion and motivation with others and who knows what you might inspire!
You can even use social media to start a fundraising campaign now- through either Facebook or Instagram. For Facebook you can use an upcoming event, such as your birthday, to ask for donations from friends on your behalf, and on Instagram the story function allows you to set up a campaign for your favourite charity. Be part of MOAS’ community of social media warriors and create a campaign to impact the world’s most vulnerable communities today.
- Share Your Talents
We all have different skills and talents and you should never underestimate your potential. Whether you choose to share your time in person, providing another pair of hands to a project in need of man-power, or offer your skills remotely to provide MOAS with capacity in your area of expertise, there is no bad way to share your gifts with others.
If you’re interested in how you can get involved or where your skills may be best used please send us an email on [email protected] with your CV and an email letting us know where you are and what your availability is and we will work with you to find the best ways for you to get involved.
- Give back
Every cent counts when you are raising funds to implement philanthropic programming. No donation is too small to make a difference in the places it is needed most. There may be times when a financial contribution is not the best way for you to engage with your favourite charity, but whenever you have the opportunity to donate, please do so. Our organization still runs entire national programs using private funds from donors like you and it’s incredibly important to us that we continue to provide those services to the communities in crisis that we support.
Please do give whatever you can and if you’re interested in finding out more about where your money is going or how we use it just email us on [email protected] and our fundraising department well answer any questions you have. Donate now on our website or contact us for other ways to give.
Conclusion
Charity, in parallel to activities like volunteering and awareness raising can create increased community awareness and an engaged civil society. With more robust engagement from all of us we can bolster organizations with a limited capacity, supplement failing government systems, reach individuals who are falling through the gaps and really improve the lives of the most vulnerable.
Please join us, in whatever way you can, to strengthen the bonds of our global community and magnify the impact of the work that we do. Follow and share, motivate and organize, volunteer or donate and join our charitable movement today.
If you are interested in the work of MOAS and our partners, please follow us on social media, sign up to our newsletter and share our content. You can also reach out to us any time via [email protected]. If you want to support our operations, please give what you can at www.moas.eu/donate.
